Vertical pulverizer systems are used to process raw material to be used by a variety of power generation systems. For example, conventional vertical pulverizer systems may grind coal into a fine particle. The fine coal particles created by the vertical pulverizer system may be utilized by a boiler of a steam turbine system configured to generate power. Conventional vertical pulverizers typically include grinding mechanisms positioned within a sealed chamber that may grind or crush the raw material to form the fine particles.
During the pulverizering process performed by the vertical pulverizer system, the chamber, and the components positioned within the chamber, may experience a variety of stresses. For example, pressure loads may build or grow within the chamber due to the grinding mechanism having to apply enough pressure to grind the raw material. Additionally, in some instances, the raw material may be combustible (e.g., coal). As a result, the chamber of the vertical pulverizer system may also experience explosive loads as the chamber heats up, becomes an ignition source, and the potentially combustible raw material is ground. Furthermore, the chamber may experience thermal loads and/or large swings in temperature during the grinding process. Additionally, large mechanical loads may be experienced by the chamber and/or the components within the chamber because of the mechanical loads required to grind the raw material within the vertical pulverizer system.
To compensate for these relatively high loads (e.g., thermal, mechanical, pressure, explosive) the conventional chambers are often made up of a variety of distinct components formed from very thick metal or metal alloys. These conventional chambers are typically large in size, include a variety of connection joints (e.g., welds between components) and angular transitions between surfaces and/or components forming the chamber. Because of the size, thickness and/or the number of components required to manufacture conventional chambers for a vertical pulverizer system, the chambers are often expensive, time consuming to build and difficult to provide maintenance on due to the number of portions or components forming the chamber.
Additionally, although most conventional chambers are built to withstand the experienced stresses or loads, conventional chambers include high stress concentration areas that experience the loads more than other portions of the chamber. For example, angled transitions between portions and/or components of the conventional chambers experience greater or more concentrated stress and/or loads during operation of the vertical pulverizer system.